Kunlun Mountain Pass
昆仑山口
The gateway to the Qinghai-Tibet Highway at 4,768 metres, with a Kunlun Pass monument, a Sonam Dargye memorial and a white stupa. It is the starting point for entering Hoh Xil.
Kunlun Pass lies on National Highway G109, about 160 km south of Golmud, at an altitude of 4,768 metres. It is the pass that the Qinghai-Tibet Highway and the Qinghai-Tibet Railway must cross to get over the Kunlun Mountains, and it marks the dividing line between the Qaidam Basin and the heart of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. At the pass stand a monument reading 'Kunlun Pass, altitude 4,768 metres', a memorial to Sonam Dargye (who died in 1994 protecting Tibetan antelopes; he was then deputy Party secretary of Zhiduo County), a white stupa and prayer flags. Not far to the west are a monument to the magnitude 8.1 Kunlun Pass West earthquake of 2001 and ground fissures formed by the quake. From the pass you can look out at the snowy Yuzhu Peak and the railway winding across the plateau. To the south lies the Hoh Xil nature reserve. Admission is free. You can park and take photos, usually for 20-40 minutes. Access is only by private car, chartered vehicle or tour group. From Golmud it takes about 2.5-3 hours. Note that many people reach an altitude above 4,700 metres here for the first time. After you get out, do not run or shout loudly. If you feel unwell, use oxygen immediately and descend. The weather changes quickly, so bring a down jacket even in summer.
Opening hours
All day